Automobile bumper



May 22, 1928.

W. E. HART AUTOMOBILE BUMPER Filed 001'.. '7, 1927 INVENTOR E. aff/Z ATTORNEY Patented bday 22, 1928.

` untreu STA WILLIAME. HART, OF SAIN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMOBILE BUMPER.

Application led @ctober 7, '1927. Serial No. 224,662.

My invention relates to the art of bumpersl and particularly to those designed for and adapted to be used on the front and rear of automobiles to protect the vehicle against damage in collision. Some are of a rigid or non-yielding type, others are of the socalled elastic or yieldable type, but all those of both types with which l am familiar have no provision to prevent interlocking ci their ends with objects engaged, and consequently y the bumpers frequently become .bent at their extremities, or by interlocking with an ob-` ject become broken o. llt the object be the weaker structure, the object is bent, broken oli or otherwise damaged.

rlhereiore the invention has for its object to provide av bumper which will ettectually serve its intended purpose as a protection to the car when moved forward (relatively) but, which, if it is engaged with an object when the vehicle is moving rearwardly (relatively) will yield and pass the object engaged without damaging the bumper or the object engaged.

Further it is an object to provide a bumper that will not be torn away from its mountings when hit on its own side (i. e. side adjacent the automobile), and yet will function to protect the vehicle in case oi collision or contact With some object on its outer side (i. e. side away from the automobile).

Further it is an object to provide bumpers which entend far enough sidewise to protect fenders, hub caps and the front wheels in turning.

@ther objects will in part nbe obvious and in part be pointed out herinater..

'l`o the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends, my invention consists in the novel details et construction, combination and arrangement ol parts, all oit which will be first fully described in the ollowing detailed description, then be particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reterence being had to the accompanying drawings, in which t-f v Figure 1 is applan viewof an automobile with one embodiment of my invention applied to the front and another to the rear.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the front bumper shown in Figure 1.l

Figure 3 is a front elevation o a modified form of the type of bumper shown in Figure l,

`Figure 1, or against the Figure 4 is a face View yof one of the rear bumpers shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a plan View illustrating a further modified embodiment of the inven' tion, being of the rear type shown in Figure 1.

In the drawings in which like numerals of reference indicate like 'parts in all of the figures, 1 generally designates an automobile and 2 the chassis thereof. In Figure 1 of' the drawings I have illustrated .two forms ot the invention, end and another to the rear end.

one attached to the iront Y lin the form of the yinvention illustrated j at 'the :trout of the automobile in Figure 1 mounting brackets 3 are secured as at 4 to project forwardly from' the advance ends of theautomobile chassis, and in the mounting heads 5 of the,`said brackets a main bumper bar 6 is secured through the medium of set screws or other suitable securing means.

The bar 6 may be constructed of flat resilient metal and as the ends thereof are extended laterally beyond the mounting heads 7 equipped at their extremities with abutment heads 8.

The abutment heads or rods 8 are long enough, or in other words, project above an below the bar end 7 to engage both of the pair'of the upper and lower yieldable bumper members 9 provided at each bumper end. rlhe pairs of bars 9 each constituting a yieldable abutment member are pivoted at their inner ends as at 10 to the main bumper bar 6 and have their outer ends extended bey I partially coiled as at 11 to avoid presenting sharp edges or corners for engagement with obstructions. The partially coiled ends 11 are connected by a suitable connector piece l2.

At their inner hinged ends each yieldable bumper member 9 is equipped with a crank lug 13, and a coiled spring 14 is connected across between the said lugs and serves to hold the said yieldable members to their normal positions illustrated in full lines in By constructing and mounting a bumper as il ustrated at the advance end of the autothe said bumper mobile shown in Figure 1,

shocks of colwill serve to fyieldably absorb l'ision directed toward abutment heads 8.`

ond the abutmentheads 8 andv bent slightly forwardly as at 7, and Y the front of the veme j by an automobile pasing the vehicle upon which the bumper is mounted and heading in the 'same direction, or by reason of the said vehicle backing into a arking space and striking an obstruction oitp any kind generally indicated at 16 in the said figure, the yieldable-members K9 .ot the said bumper are free to hinge forwardly as indicated byy the dotted lines in the said figure, and when the obstruction is passed they will be drawn back to their normal position by the springs la.

At`the rear ot the automobile shown in Figure 1, ll have illustrated yieldable bumpers ot' the separated or unit type adapted to be mounted one at each side of the veliic'leto provide a space tor mounting a spare tire. ltn this form of the invention mounting brackets 17 are secured as at 18 to the rear ends of the chassis and in the mounting heads 19 oit the said brackets curved bumper bars 2O are secured in any approved manner.

'llhe bumper bars 2O each has secured., as at 21, at its inner end, a pivot rod 22 and at its other or outer end has secured thereto, as at 23, an upright abutment head 2t. A

- yieldable pair of upper and lower bumper' titl) members 25 are curled around and pivotcd at their inner ends as at 26 to the rod 22 and are partially coiled at their outer or extended ends and joined by a connector piece 27.

A. coiled spring 28 is coiled about each rod 22 and engages the bumper members 20 and 25 in such a manner as to always hold the said members 25 in their normal positions illustrated in full lines in Figure 1, or against the abutment heads 24h lin use the rear bumpers just described present a resilient shock absorbing surface to obstructions such as are encountered by an automobile in back; ing, or provided by a vehicle driven head-on into the rear end of the automobile upon which the bumpers are mounted. However, when the extended ends of the members 25 are engaged by obstructions such as the tire indicated at 29 in the 'said figure, the members 25 are tree to move on their hinge connection against the tension oit the coiled spring andwhen released will be forced back by the said spring to the normal position against the abutment 24. i

j ln Figure 5' of the drawings ll have illustrated a rear bumper unit similar to those shown inlFigure 1 in every detail except that instead of providing the coiled spring 28 a retractile spring 30 may be securedV as at 31 to and between the bumper members 20 and 25 to serve the same purpose as the said coiled spring.

In Figure 3 of the drawings I have illustrateol a front bumper similar to that shown remesa said Figure 1, and a tace view of which is` shown in lFigure 2, comprises a single main bar t5 and pairs ot yieldable bars 9, the said bumper shown in Figure 3 is constructed to comprise a pair of upper and lower main bumper bars and single yieldable members extended Vat their ends beyond the main bars. lln the 'illustration in lliigure 3 the bracket mounting heads 32 are made double to carry the upper and lower main bumper bars 33 which are connected at their ends by connecting and abutment heads l-t but equipped intermcdiately ot their ends with pivot rods secured thereto at 3G. r

The single `\,'ieldablc bumper members 3T arerpivotcd or hinged at their inner ends as at 38 upon thc rods 35 and have their other ends extended and partially coiled as at 39 to provide the extended -vieldablc bumper portions. Springs l0 serve to hold the parts in the normal position and correspond in purppse ani l'unction to Ithe springs ll shown in 4igure l. its thc functioning of this bumper is substantially the Same as the one shown in Figures 1 and :Z description et the operation thereof is dccmed unnecessary.

The single bunipcr members Si' are equipped with crunk lugs similar to those 13 ot the double members and which are connected by a spring-40 to hold the said members 37 to their normal iosilions.

lln the foregoing description ll have disclosed a number ot forms ot bumpers all provided with yieldable rejected portions which are relatively rigi against obstructions toward the vehicle upon which they are mounted but which are free to yield and pass obstructions from other directions without breakage or damage. lin this manner it is possible to extend the bumpers laterally of the machine for enough to assure full protection of the machine even when the wheels 'are in` the turning position.

wlll/'hilo ll have shown and described numerous forms ot bumpers embodying my invention, yet ll do not desire to linut myself to any specific form or construction beyond the scope ot the appended claims.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought that the novel details oit' construction, the manner of use and the advantages of my invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to Which it relates.

Vlhat ll claim is: w

1. ln bumpers, mounting brackets, a main bumper bar carried by the brackets and having laterally and forwardly extended ends, abutment members carried by said ends, yieldable bumper members pivoted at. their inner endsfto the main bumper bar and having their other ends extended laterlll) up cenneetions 'to normally heid tbe end ds against .ou'tment members il ittingg;l yieili movement et ,i `red ends away 'from tbe abutment when engaged a Certain direstion 2, 'fi i bumpers. mounting' brackets, e main bumper bar carried by tbe braelrets end having lL ily and forwardly extended ends, ers carried by said ends7 yieldabie bumper members pivoted at their inner ends to tbe main bumper bar and baving their etber ends extended laterally beyond tbe seid mein bar ends, said yieldable bumper members each being bowed toward the main bumper bar and positioned to bring one of 'tbe brackets within the limits of tbe bow thereof, and said yieldable bumper extended ends being slidable over said abutment members, and spring connections to normally bold tbe yieldable bumper extended ends against the abutment members wbiie permitting yielding movement of said ends against the abutment members when engaged in e certain direction. n

3. in bumpers, mounting brackets, a main bumper bar carried by the brackets and baving laterally and forwardly extended ends, abutment members carried by seid' ends, yieldable bumper members pivoted at their inner ends to the main bumper bar and having tbeir other ends extended laterally beyond tbe said main bar ends, said yieldable bumper members each being bowed toward the main bumper bar and positioned to bring one oit tbe brackets within the limits of the bow thereof, and said yi'eldable bumper extended ends being slidable over said abutment members, each said bumper member at the pivoted end having a crank lug extending rearwardly tlieretroma und a spri` l neeting tbe lun; extensions to normay' tbe yieldable bumper extended ends se tbe abutment members while per yielding; movement oft said endsageinst abutment members when engaged in certain direction.

Li. lin bumpers, a main bumper be?, a yieldable bumper bar pivoted et one to 'tbe main bumperv bar and extending; beyend tbe main bumper bar at its other end, yieldable means to normally bold tbe non-pivoted ends ot tbe bumper bars in engagement, et least one of said bars being bowed toward tbe other said bar., and a mounting bracket secured to the main bumper bar intermediately ont tbe bow.

5. In bumpers, a main bumper ber, a yieldable bumper bar pivoted at one end to tbe main bumper bar and extending beyond tbe main bumper bar at its other end, yieldable means te normally bold tbe nonpivoted ends ot the bumper bars in engagement, at least one of said toward tbe other seid bar, a mounting bracket secured to tbe main bumper ber intermediately of tbe bow, and an abutment member carried by tbe main bumper bar und adapted to be slidably engaged by tbe tree end ozt tbe yieldable bumper bar.

6. in bumpers, reversely bowed bumper members pivoted together at one end, one of said members being longer end extended beyond the non-piyoted end of Atbe other member and in slidable engaementv with said non-pivoted end, yieldab e means to normally bold the non-pivoted ends of: tbe

members in engagement, and a mounting bracket secured to the shorter member intermediately of tbe bow thereof.

WILLIAM E. HART.

bars being bowed 

